


When The Lights Go Down

by parallelanprincess



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Consensual Kink, Established Relationship, F/M, Families of Choice, Flash Forward, Flashbacks, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Implied Sexual Content, Implied/ Referenced Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, POV Male Character, POV Shiro (Voltron), Queerplatonic Relationships, Rope Bondage, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Stripper Shiro (Voltron), Strippers & Strip Clubs, Sugar Baby Lance (Voltron), Sugar Daddy Lotor (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25389925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parallelanprincess/pseuds/parallelanprincess
Summary: In 2009, an overworked and underpaid mall employee goes about his daily life with his eccentric roommate and terrible bosses. In 2019, a loving husband and father prepares an anniversary dinner. This is the story of Shiro, Takashi, and the difference ten years can make.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lance & Shiro (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Matt Holt & Shiro, Matt Holt/N-7, implied Hunk/Romelle, past James Griffin/Keith
Comments: 35
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [otayuriistheliteralbest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/otayuriistheliteralbest/gifts).



> *crawls into the VLD tag* This still ain't my fandom. Ok. I'm alive. Explanation. This was a Secret Santa for OtayuriIsTheLiteralBest that SHOULD have been posted in December 2020. However, life for me got insane at that point and it took me 7 months to finish this. I literally finished this last night. It's been a journey. I wanted to think Vixen13 and Francowitch for their assistance in cheering me on for half a year. Thanks to Vixen13 for writing advice and emotional support. Big thanks to Francowitch for once again HELPING TO WRITE ACTUAL SECTIONS OF THE FIC. SHE IS QUEEN AND THE ONLY REASON THIS GOT FINISHED.
> 
> Happy very late (or very early) Christmas OtayuriIsTheLiteralBest. I love you. You're an amazing person and this was an honor to write for you. LET'S HIT IT!

**June 1, 2009**  
_8:30 AM_

When Shiro woke up he did the same thing he’d been doing since he kicked Adam West out of his bed the morning after prom. He checked the space next to him to make sure he hadn’t brought home any mistakes. The right side of his bed was empty, he didn’t know whether that was a good thing. What he did know was that he needed to be on time for his opening shift at Khaki Barn or Ellen would be on his ass. His shift would be about six or seven hours depending on foot traffic and Ellen’s whims. People assumed Ellen was one of the rent a cops instead of an assistant manager for a discount clothing store in a dead mall because of how much of a hardass she was. The amount of abuse Shiro suffered was only offset by how KB was the first steady day job he’d had since graduating college. If he thought for a second corporate actually gave a shit he would have filed a complaint ages ago. KB put enough gas in his car that he was able to commute to the job he actually liked. 

Shiro grabbed his phone from his night stand and was surprised to find the battery hanging on to its last 20% of charge despite being plugged in all night. Either his charger was broken or Lance forgot to pay the light bill again. Shiro got out of bed and when he tried to turn on his lights the only illumination in the dark room came from the sun peeking through the blinds. He was going to kill Lance. Shiro was usually too exhausted from straddling two jobs to run down to the power company every month. Since Lance had a part time job with strange, infrequent hours Shiro trusted him to take care of submitting the bill payments on time. Shiro made his way to Lance’s bedroom fully prepared to give him yet another lecture on responsibility. 

“Rise and shine, Lance, you forgot to pay the bills again!” Shiro yelled, pounding on Lance’s door. Shiro heard an indistinct, muffled reply from inside. For the first time since he moved in, Lance’s bedroom was locked. Lance was warm and inviting to the point that he claimed that locking doors meant locking out the world. Thankfully, this philosophy did not extend to the front and back doors. 

“You alright in there, Lance?” Shiro asked. He heard what sounded like frantic whispering. Someone was in there with Lance. Shiro pressed his ear against the door. 

“Should I untie you?” an unfamiliar, masculine voice asked in a hushed whisper.

“We just got started!” Lance groaned.

  
“You forgot to pay for your electricity? And here I thought the candles were for ambience,” the man chuckled.

“Well, maybe if someone paid me in cash and not personal checks we wouldn’t be having this problem,” Lance replied.

“I was under the impression this relationship was more physical than fiscal. You certainly had me thinking otherwise. Perhaps I should leave you like this.”

“No, don’t! Shiro will freak if he finds out!”

Shiro wasn’t sure what l Lance had gotten into but he was certain it wouldn’t end well. If Lance was being held against his will then he needed to do something.

“Lance, I’m going to break the door down if you don’t come out here!” Shiro yelled.

“Oh, God. Shiro, trust me when I say none of us want that,” Lance said.

“I wonder if he can actually do it. He does look pretty strong.”

“Are you seriously hitting on my roommate in front of me?”

“I’m giving you to the count of three before the door comes down.”

“No need. I’m coming,” the man said.

The door opened to reveal a man with the longest, whitest hair Shiro had ever seen. He was wearing a long sleeved dress shirt and the pair of dress pants Shiro lost over a month ago. The man smirked and extended his hand in greeting.

“Lotor Sincline, a pleasure. You must be Shiro. Lance has told me so much about you,” Lotor said.

“Funny, Lance has told me not a damn thing about you. Can I talk to him a minute?”

“I’m afraid he’s a bit indisposed at the moment. He’s not exactly fit to be seen right now.”

“Move or be moved,” Shiro warned.

Lotor stepped aside. When Shiro walked into Lance’s room the first thing he noticed was that the floor wasn’t covered in dirty laundry for once. The second thing he noticed was that Lance was tied up on his bed. Naked. Surrounded by candles. Lance looked like a ritualistic sacrifice who was very excited to be used to appease some ancient god.

“Hi,” Lance said.

“Hello.”

“I can explain.”

“I’m sure you can. What the hell is going on here?”

“This is consensual, he’s my sugar daddy, and I totally forgot about the lights until this morning. My bad.”

“Okay. That answers several questions while also raising a lot more. Are you absolutely sure you’re alright with what this guy is doing to you?”

“Shiro, we spent three hours debating which ropes to buy. I’m perfectly fine. Well, not fine. My boner is gone and the mood is ruined for, like, ever. But I appreciate the concern. You’re a real standup guy.”

“Thanks. I’m going to shower and pretend I didn’t see this.”

Shiro grumbled as he went to shower, without the electricity it would also mean no hot water. Thankfully after living with Lance and his long bathing routine, Shiro was used to cold showers. Taking a deep breath he decided to make the best of the situation, turning on the little battery camp radio they kept in the shower he cleaned up jamming to some of his favourite tunes leaving the bathroom feeling refreshed and energized for the rest of the day.

“I want to apologize for all this. Lance wanted to wait a bit longer before properly introducing us. I was hoping to meet you under better circumstances,” Lotor said.

“What were you going to do? Discuss the merits of bondage over coffee?”

“Something like that. You aren’t bothered by our relationship?”

“As long as Lance is happy and healthy we won’t have a problem. He’s smart enough to make his own decision. Do me a favor and remind him that unless he has an endless supply of candles he needs to pay the light bill.”

“How about I write you a check and we call it a day?”


	2. Chapter 2

**June 1, 2019**   
_8:30 AM_

Takashi woke up to his husband snoring in his ear. Keith was spooning him from behind and drooling all over his neck. Takashi always felt safe whenever he was in his beloved’s arms. Takashi had been dealing with Keith’s loud snoring for the better part of a decade.The first sign that Takashi was falling in love with Keith was when he started buying ear plugs so he could stay the night. When you love someone there are a lot of pet peeves you’re willing to get over, especially when that someone was an amazing cuddler. As much as Takashi wanted to spend the day in Keith’s embrace, today was a special day and he didn’t want to waste a second. He began to gently stroke Keith’s arms to wake him.

“Rise and shine, honey,” Takashi said gently. 

“Washapenny?” Keith slurred.

“Time to greet the day,” Takashi replied.

“Day can wait for five more minutes,” Keith groaned. He reluctantly released Takashi and stretched. “I feel like I barely slept.”

“Weren’t you the one who said he wanted to keep going until the sun came up?” Takashi teased. Keith had decided that the best way to spend his vacation was by pounding Takashi into the mattress every night. Takashi wasn’t complaining by any means, Keith had been working himself to the bone. Takashi missed having his husband completely to himself for more than a few hours. 

“How am I supposed to sleep through the night when there’s a perfectly good pillow princess next to me? Make Daddy some breakfast and I’ll think about getting up,” Keith said. 

“You’ve got ten minutes before I send in the big guns,” Takashi kissed Keith’s forehead and crawled out of bed. While he was a bit sore from the previous night’s activities, Takashi wasn’t going to let it deter him. He wanted to make the most out of the day as it was an anniversary of sorts. Ten years ago to the day, Keith walked into his life and things began to change for the better. Takashi wanted to mark the day accordingly. He planned to cook Keith’s favorite foods for dinner and buy something special for dessert. 

Maybe if Hunk wasn’t too busy, Takashi could order a cake for the occasion. No, Hunk would want to make something elaborate which might not work on such short notice. Then again Romelle was likely to pitch a fit if he went with something store bought. He supposed he was going to have to find a compromise when it came to the baking duo. 

As Takashi made his way from the bedroom to the kitchen he heard violin playing coming from Keith’s study. His daughter Michelle was no doubt trying to teach herself how to play the latest K-pop song. She swore that the study had the best acoustics. Takashi swore Michelle was doing it to get back at Keith for signing her up for violin lessons she pretended not to enjoy. They had adopted Michelle four years ago and despite not being related to him by blood, Michelle inherited every ounce of Keith’s stubborn and proud nature. Michelle had been a week from turning thirteen when Takashi and Keith visited the orphanage for the first time. Most potential parents were reluctant to adopt an older child, but they took one look at her and realized that Michelle was the perfect addition to their family. 

Takashi poked his head into the study and found Michelle was sitting cross legged on the computer chair with her violin cradled in her lap. Takashi could tell from her body language that she wasn’t too pleased about whatever the violinist in the YouTube video was talking about. 

“Morning, Mickey. Who are you playing? IBS or whatever they’re called?” Takashi joked.

“Oh my God, Papa you are so old. They’re called BTS for the last time. This isn’t even their music, god. Why are you even up this early?” Michelle asked. 

“The sun came up a few hours ago, sweetie,” Takashi said. While Keith loved to sleep in as long as possible, Michelle was a chronic insomniac. This typically led to her and Keith grumbling at each other over breakfast.

“Shit.”

“Language, young lady.”

“Sorry, Papa.”

“No problem. Can you go wake Dad in the next ten minutes. I’m sure he’d love to wake up to Clair De La Lune.”

“You guys are so weird.”

Takashi laughed and left her to her idols and violin. He couldn’t have dreamed he’d have the husband, child, big house and white picket fence that his parents always wanted for him. Takashi made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Takashi was mixing pancake batter when Keith wandered into the kitchen. Keith walked behind him, wrapped his arms around Shiro, and placed his head on Shiro’s shoulder. 

“What are you making?” Keith breathed into his ear. Keith gently grinded into Takashi from behind. Apparently his husband was hungry for something other than pancakes.

“You’re favorite, lemon and vanilla pancakes. Shame we don’t have any whipped cream left,” Takashi said.

“In my defense, your dick tastes a lot better than pancakes. I love it when you cook for me. You look so domestic. My pretty little househusband,” Keith purred. 

“Your pretty little househusband is trying to cook. You can stay and help cook but that’s it. I have something special planned for tonight if you can be a good boy and be patient.”

“I’ll be your good boy. The best things in life are waiting for. I hope you didn’t use all the eggs. I’m feeling like omelets with a side of bacon and kisses.”


	3. Chapter 3

**June 1, 2009**   
_11:15 AM_

Shiro stood at the cash register and evaluated his life. His roommate paid his portion of the bills by being a sugar baby for the world’s tannest albino. Lance was currently tied to his bed and having lukewarm wax lovingly poured on him by a man Shiro sincerely hoped wasn’t a serial killer. Meanwhile Shiro was working in a dead mall at a third rate clothing store. In a way, Shiro brought this on himself. He went looking for a roommate who was discreet and didn’t ask many questions. Lance never asked Shiro about his night job and Shiro never asked Lance why his wardrobe seemed to consist of booty shorts and fishnets. Not that Shiro’s nighttime uniform was any different. He and Lance needed to trade tips on where to get cheap men’s lingerie. 

“Focus!” Ellen yelled, snapping Shiro out of daydreams of tights that didn’t cut off his circulation. 

On what? The grandmother in the children’s section who was debating between two equally cute toddler dresses? Or maybe the teenage boys goofing around with the bra rack that Shiro spent far too much time rearranging everytime the local juveniles wanted to grope the mannequins. 

“We’re going to have a big Christmas in July sale in a few weeks and I want this place in tiptop shape. Corporate isn’t too pleased with how little profit we’re pulling in. It’s likely we’re going to have to start cutting hours. Don’t think that because you have a bit of seniority that you’re immune to a schedule adjustment,” Ellen said. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Shiro said with all the pleasant passive aggressiveness that came from working in retail. Damn, the weak economy. The recession hit everyone hard. After five years, Shiro had been laid off from his position as a physical therapist at the veteran’s hospital when their funding got slashed in half. He spent months looking for another job in the medical field before his savings ran out and he found himself applying to any place that was hiring. Shiro gave up his gorgeous condo for a cramped two bedroom apartment he shared with someone who was far kinkier than Shiro expected. Oh how the mighty had fallen. 

“You’d damn well better. No one here is irreplaceable. I don’t care if you are employee of the month, you’re still hourly and I expect you to spend every hour making sure this place is immaculate. Am I clear?”

“Crystal, Ellen.” She seemed satisfied enough. She went back to her office presumably to obsessively watch the security cameras. The store’s no chase policy was ironclad, even if Ellen saw someone stealing there was little they could do besides call the police which would lead to an irate 911 operator lecturing Shiro about wasting police resources. Times were hard all over, everyone was shoplifting. What made them so special?

Matt walked in fifteen minutes late as usual. Matt’s theory was that if he consistently came late, Ellen would assume that she was misreading his schedule. So far his theory was working out well and Shiro was mad he hadn’t thought of it.

“Look who decided to show up. You missed Ellen giving out her latest directive,” Shiro said.

“Thank God for small miracles. Anyone in here? I need to change and I don’t feel like walking to the dressing room,” Matt said.

“Just a grandma and some brats. She might enjoy the show. Try to not stand in the doorway this time. The security guards got some complaints.”

“Complaints from who? The ghosts that inhabit this place?” Matt walked behind the counter and crouched behind Shiro. “Do me a favor, don’t move for like three minutes. Oh don’t be like that, you’re already built like a brick wall. You don’t mind right? A little male nudity never hurt anyone.”

Shiro wanted to tell Matt that there was a lot of money to be made for men willing to take their clothes off in public. Matt had the cocky, bad boy attitude that women loved to throw money at in hopes of him taking them home. He was young and in shape, far more than Shiro was and he still made decent money. 

Matt stood back up in the brilliant blue polo shirt that designated him as yet another wage slave at the mercies of capitalism.

“What’s the plan, Major Tom?” Matt asked.

“We’re scheduled til 2 PM. Ellen was making noises about cutting hours so she’ll probably let us go a little bit earlier than that. Four hour shift so no breaks. If you don’t want to deal with customers, you can go over the inventory and figure out just how much merchandise we aren’t selling. Or you can hide in the stockroom’s blindspot and play with your new phone,” Shiro said.

“Not even gonna try and get me to pretend I work here, huh Shiro? ” 

“Matt, the guy at the tech startup called me for a reference last week. I know you got another job. Since you’ll be putting in your two weeks soon I figure you can take it easy,” Shiro said. For the first time since Shiro met him, Matt was completely speechless. 

“You recommended me? Really?” Matt asked.

“The guys at Kerberos didn’t need much convincing to take you on. I told them you were the best man for the job.” 

Matt might have been chronically tardy, extremely unmotivated, and frequently took naps in the dressing room but when it came to technology his skills were unparalleled. Matt was the reason that Lance and Shiro were able to use their neighbor’s WiFi undetected. Matt once stayed in the mall past closing just so he would be the first person in line to get the revolutionary iPhone from the Apple Store. The only reason Matt worked at Khaki Barn was because Stereo Shack fired him when he kept getting into arguments with customers about Macs being superior to PCs. Shiro couldn’t deny that Matt was far more passionate about computing power than casual wear. Shiro firmly believed that in the right environment Matt could flourish, his degree in computer science was being wasted. His coworker was finally taking initiative and Shiro wasn’t going to hold him back. Matt pulled Shiro into a hug.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Matt said quietly.

“I did. Don’t forget me when you’re rich and famous, alright? I’d love to tell my future kids that I worked with the second coming of Steve Jobs,” Shiro replied. 

“What can I do to repay you? Not with money, of course. I spent my paycheck on a suit for the Kerberos interview.”

Shiro skipped breakfast in his hurry to escape the image of Lance’s erection. He planned on waiting until his shift ended before getting something to eat. Matt was so eager to help him that Shiro decided sending him on a snack run would be sufficient repayment. 

“How about you go buy us some empanadas from Wonder Taco? Tell Hunk it’s for a special occasion,” Shiro said, pulling out his wallet and handing Matt a roll of singles. 

“Why do you always have so many one dollar bills?” Matt asked.

“I have a very weird bank,” Shiro said automatically. The less Matt knew the better. The answer seemed satisfactory as Matt left the store without asking any other questions. Shiro was going to miss him. Matt was still young, he had his entire life ahead of him. All that Shiro had was a mountain of bad decisions.


	4. Chapter 4

  
**June 1, 2019**   
_11:15 AM_

With Keith and Michelle determined to spend the day marathoning every Marvel movie, Takashi had ample time to slip out of the house without them noticing. The first thing he had to do was get a cake. Luckily Takashi had a special connection to the best bakery in town. When Takashi’s old friend Hunk Garrett told him he was only a few thousand away from funding his dream, Takashi knew he needed to help him. Takashi only had to have a few words with the generous, loving, and sexy Managing Director of The Galra Group to get Hunk the necessary capital to make his dream a reality. Paladin’s Patisserie was one of the many local businesses that Keith’s firm heavily invested in at Takashi’s insistence. Hunk was grateful, Keith was satisfied, and it ended with everyone making tons of money.

After Takashi vouching for Paladin’s paid off and by the second year of their marriage, Keith began turning to Takashi for his opinion on everything from investments to stocks to the coffee maker for the break room. Meaning that in addition to running his own outpatient physical therapy clinic Takashi was serving as a financial consultant. At least they would be able to send Michelle to college without her having to take out loans. 

When Takashi walked into Paladin’s, he was greeted by the sweet smells of freshly baked blueberry muffins and chocolate chip cookies. 

“Welcome to Paladin’s Patisserie where we live to serve. How may I help- Aah! Takashi it’s so good to see you!” Romelle squealed. She rushed from behind the counter to give Shiro a hug. In terms of retail, Romelle was the type of person you wanted working the front counter. She was sweet, patient, and the type of quirky that boys fell in love with and girls wanted to emulate. 

“How have you been? How are Keith and Mickey? Do they miss me? I miss them. Well, not Mickey. Last time she was here she kept eating all the free samples.” Romelle talked at a mile a minute and she was prone to going on tangents. 

“I’ve been great. Keith and Mickey are fine. Mickey misses you but she’ll never admit it. I can pay for the cookies she ate. I want to place an order for this evening if it’s possible,” Takashi answered in order.

“Anything is possible if you believe in the power of love and baking soda. What do you need? How many layers? What type of frosting? Fondant? Gluten free? Tell me!” At this point Romelle was still hugging him, her gripped tightening with each question. Takashi appreciated her enthusiasm, the problem was she was starting to cut off his circulation. Once upon a time, Romelle had been a bouncer at Takashi’s second job. He couldn’t blame her for leaving behind a life of managing out of control bachelorette parties for baking cookies. Takashi only wished Romelle remembered how strong she was. 

“Romelle, I’m tapping out,” Takashi wheezed.

“Sorry! You’re so cuddly I can’t help myself. After all these years, you’re still a big old softy underneath all those muscles. What’s the occasion?” Romelle said, finally letting Takashi go. At least he didn’t have that creak in his back anymore. ”

“You see, it’s the anniversary of the day Keith and I met. I want something simple, something to commemorate the occasion without going overboard,” Shiro said. 

“That’s so romantic. You’ve always been such a gentleman. How many people are you expecting for the party? Or is this going to be something private for the three of you?”

“I don’t see why we can’t invite some people over. You and Hunk are always welcome. Lance and Lotor might come since they’re finally back from vacation. Prying Matt away from his latest project might take some convincing. He’s never been one to reject free food so he’ll at least make an appearance. Should be about seven or eight people altogether. What do you think?”

“Sounds to me like you need a Japanese cheesecake. We got a fresh shipment of fruit a few hours ago. I’ll even hand deliver it in exchange for an invitation,” Romelle winked “What time’s the party?”

“I’m thinking maybe 8:00, 8:30 at the latest. How much will it cost?”

“It’s on the house. Anything for my favorite customer,” Romelle said with a wink. 

Takashi flushes, muttering his thanks as he turns to leave, escaping before Romelle remembers one last thing. 

Driving to the grocery store Takashi began to wonder when he became so domesticated. In college his idea of a healthy dinner was anything that wasn’t microwaved. His favorite dessert was some frosted sugar cookies with a cheap bottle of wine. Only when he decided to switch to a more health focused major did Takashi begin to get serious about eating healthy and staying in shape. No one wants a fat physical therapist. His strict diet and exercise routine came in handy once he lost his lucrative job and found himself in an industry where sex appeal mattered more than what he majored in.

Hard to think that there was a time when Takashi didn’t know where his next meal was coming from. Keith was one of the few bright lights in those dark days. When Takashi began to worry that his life was going nowhere fast a certain smart ass walked in and swept him off his feet. Takashi knew Keith didn’t like being fawned over, his husband hated big, elaborate parties. They’d have a small get together with their friends to reminisce about the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. 


	5. Chapter 5

**June 1, 2009**   
_2:30 PM_

Few things could compare to the euphoria of clocking out of a soul crushing retail job. Shiro looked forward to getting home and sleeping for a few hours. He got off early enough that he could still make it to the electric company before they closed. Shiro wove between the middling crowd in the mall’s cramped corridors. It wasn’t so much that the mall was crowded, it hadn’t been for years, it was more that the few customers weren’t in a rush to get to their next destination. Shiro had no patience for waiting behind a senior on an electric scooter. When he finally got to the parking lot Shiro saw that someone had keyed his car. He ran to his beloved Camry to find that someone had scratched a message into the front passenger’s side door: UR A BITCH SVEN I HATE U. In addition to the vandalized car door, all four of Shiro’s tires were slashed. Whoever did this was annoyingly thorough. 

Shiro didn’t know if Sven was the person who did it or if he was the one the message was meant for. Either way he was going to have to call the cops and his insurance agency to get it sorted out. Shiro stepped back from the car to survey the area. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around, there were about a dozen other cars parked in that section. He didn’t think anyone would attack him in broad daylight but he couldn’t be too careful. Shiro called Matt just in case he was being watched.

“Hey, are you still at the mall? Someone keyed my car. Yeah, it looks really bad. I don’t know who did it. Something about hating Sven? No, I don’t know Sven. What? He works where? What the hell is Not Quite Naked? Listen, I don’t care if he drives the same car, can you come wait with me until the cops get here? I’m parked behind Albatross & Finch in the third row. Thanks,” Shiro said. 

Shiro stood in the parking lot wondering who the hell Sven was and if the day could possibly get any worse. He wasn’t going to be able to make it to the electric company on time. For once, Shiro was grateful that their fridge was empty and he wouldn’t have to worry about any food spoiling. The apartment was going to be a pitch black inferno by the time he got home. Shiro resisted the urge to call Matt back and ask to crash at his place for the afternoon. The Holts wouldn’t refuse him, but Shiro didn’t want Matt to feel like he was taking advantage of him. 

He opened his wallet to look for his insurance card and found Lotor’s business card peeking out at him. Lotor did say Shiro could call on him whenever there was a problem. Being stranded definitely qualified. Shiro was going to have to be very clear that he wasn’t looking to be Lotor’s sugar baby. Lotor wasn’t his type. From what he gathered from their brief interaction, Lotor’s was clearly an old money trust fund type with too much time on his hands. Shiro prefered rebellious bad boys with more money than patience. Unfortunately, Shiro didn’t have a sugar daddy at his beck and call. All he had was a totaled car and the world’s worst case of mistaken identity. 

  
“Galra Group Limited Company, this is Romelle speaking. How may I help you?” a perky female voice answered.

“Uh, hi. This is Shiro. I’m looking for Lotor Sincline,” Shiro said.

“May I ask what this is in regards to?”

“Someone keyed my car and I’m stuck at work.”

“I’m sorry. I believe you have the wrong number, sir.”

“I’m Lance’s roommate if that helps. I know this is weird. I’m sorry. I’ll hang up now.”

“You’re an associate of Mr. McClain? Did I hear you correctly?”

“Yeah, this is his roommate Shiro.”

“Mr. Sincline did say you might be calling today. He’s in a meeting right now. If you give me the address I can send a car for you.”

**June 1, 2009**   
_4:15 PM_

Having his roommate’s sugar daddy call him a cab was not a situation Shiro ever imagined himself in. He was sure he would laugh about it some day. Eventually. When he walked into the apartment, he was relieved to feel the cool breeze of the air conditioner. Lotor came through with his promise. Shiro wasn’t too fond of the idea of being in his debt, but Lotor already knew where he lived and worked. What was one more bill to pay? 

“Shiro, you’re home! How was work?” Lance greeted Shiro as he walked into the apartment. Lance came out of the kitchen wearing an apron instructing Shiro to kiss the red rooster on it. Lance was looking well and not at all tied to his bed covered in candle wax.

“It was fine. Matt finally got that new job he wanted. Ellen is as wonderful as ever,” Shiro sighed. “Are you actually cooking or is that one of your cosplays?” 

“I’m making your favorite, macaroni and cheese. I wanted to make up for this morning. I was going to tell you about Lotor sooner, but you’re never home! Plus a sugar daddy’s not the type of thing you explain over a text. But we did get the lights sorted out along with the water and cable. So we’re good, right?” Lance asked nervously.

Shiro still had several questions, comments, and concerns regarding Lance and Lotor. He realized that it wasn’t his place. They were both consenting adults, the relationship had obviously been going on long before Lance moved in. Besides if Lotor ever gave Lance any problems Shiro was certain he could handle him. 

“We’re good, Lance. Can I give you Lotor’s check back or does he want to get it in person?” Shiro asked, following Lance into the kitchen. Lance wasn’t the best roommate but he was a great cook. Shiro noticed that the kitchen was fully restocked with all the snack foods Lance seemed to subsist on. At least Lance wasn’t going to eat anymore of Shiro’s protein bars. A steaming pot of macaroni and cheese sat on the counter on top of one of Shiro’s old t-shirts.

“Leave it on the table. I’ll give it to Romelle to shred next time I stop by the office. I have to return her recipe book anyways. Now take a seat and I’ll serve you up some of this McClain goodness,” Lance said. After a long day of standing behind a counter and contemplating his life choices Shiro was happy to comply. He was still full from all the free tacos Hunk gave Matt for their lunch but he didn’t want Lance to feel as though he was rejecting the gesture. Lance filled a cheap plastic bowl with macaroni and handed it to Shiro along with a plastic fork. Maybe they needed to ask Lotor to get them some half decent tableware. 

“I’m so sorry someone scratched it up like that. Do the cops know who did it?” Lance asked, sitting down next to Shiro. He was going to watch him eat. Lovely. This was starting to feel less like an apology and more like a strange form of torture.

“Apparently there’s a guy who looks like me, works in the same mall, and drives the same car as me. Up until two days ago this guy, Sven, was dating some asshole named Akira. Sven and Akira are going through a bad breakup, so Akira decided he was going to key Sven’s car crazy ex-girlfriend style. And yes, I am pressing charges,” Shiro said. 

“Wow. That’s...a lot to deal with. Have you thought about getting a new job? I mean, you’re way too good to waste your time at some boring mall. Don’t you have a doctorate or something?” Lance asked.

“I have a master’s in sports medicine which is the last thing anyone wants in this economy. The hospitals only want CNAs since they’re cheap, no one can afford a personal trainer, and no one can afford anyone with a master’s degree. I’m overqualified for everything.”

“I know that song and dance all too well. Four years studying English Literature at Altea University and they won’t even scrub the toilets at the local library. We both seemed to be dealing with this recession better than most people.Only reason I stopped working part time jobs is because Lotor gives me a monthly allowance that pays a lot more than minimum wage. Meanwhile you work at retail hell and have a shady night job you refuse to talk about. I don;t get why you’re so secretive about it, there’s nothing wrong being a bouncer.”

“What makes you think I’m a bouncer?”

“Well first of all there’s the Tenderloins duffel bag. Tendies is one of the few clubs in town that has bouncers. Secondly there’s the fact you’re always out of the apartment between 9 PM to 4 AM,” Lance said.

“How’d you figure out my schedule?”

“I pay more attention than you give me credit for. Besides I needed to know what was the best time for Lotor to come over. Figures the one time he decides to stay the night you run into each other. Thirdly, you come home smelling like booze, sweat, and ass. Only logical explanation is that you spend your nights throwing drunks out of the local strip club. Putting the dots together doesn’t take a genius but I have always been far more observant than that average man,” Lance said triumphantly. Lance looked so proud of himself Shiro was almost disappointed he’d have to burst his bubble. 

“Close but not exactly. Actually I’m a-”

“Wait, wait no. I wanna guess. Let me see. You always have a bunch of cash and it tends to be super sticky. I know! You’re the bartender.”

“No, Lance, I’m-”

“You’ve gotta be the DJ! Your iPod definitely has some good songs on it. Mystik Spiral’s final album has the perfect summer vibes.”

“Stop stealing my iPod! I’m none of those things. I’m a stripper and according to my asshole boss I’m not even a good one. If you want to get technical I’m a pole dancer who works in a strip club. Turns out anyone can take off their clothes but not everyone can do a flying cupid.”

“Dude...that’s amazing. It makes perfect sense. You’re ripped as hell! I’d pay good money to have you sit on my face,” Lance said with a lewd smirk,

“Well this conversation has definitely gone places I never wanted to visit. I’m going to take my food to my room and try to forget what you just said,” Shiro said. True to his word he grabbed his macaroni and retreated to his bedroom. He was glad Lance wasn’t the judgemental type. He was less glad that he now faced the very real possibility that he’d be invited to a threesome at some point in the future. Shiro was too tired and hungry to give that much thought. After finishing the first thing Lance ever cooked that wasn’t slightly burned Shiro drifted off into an uneasy sleep. 

**June 1, 2009**   
_8:35 PM_

After hitting the snooze button on his cell phone alarm no less than four times, Shiro finally decided to get out of bed. He was pleased to see that his phone was completely charged. He was less pleased to see a text from Sendak telling him to come in an hour early. No matter whether it was retail or dancing Shiro was incapable of escaping demanding managers. Sendak took as much pleasure as Ellen in making Shiro do unnecessary things for the sole purposes of showing that they held power over him. Shiro knew from experience that arguing with Sendak over text messages would only make things worse when he finally showed up. Last time Shiro decided to take issue with one of Sendak’s directives he found himself having to dance to Back Door Lover on loop. 

Shiro now had less than half an hour to get to work and no form of transportation. Taking a bus to a strip club was the least sexy way to spend his evening. He was going to have to fake his enthusiasm a lot more than usual when he got on stage. Considering he was going to be late and berated regardless of what he did Shiro decided to treat himself to a nice long shower.

“Shiro, are you up?” Lance’s voice called from the living room the moment Shiro opened the bathroom door.

“Unfortunately,” Shiro called back.

“Can you come in here for a minute?”

“Yeah, just let me get on some pants first.”

Take your time.”

Shiro shook his head as he went to finish getting dressed, uncertain of just what awaited him in the living room.

Lance and Lotor were relaxing on the couch watching one of those weird 80s anime that Lance was so fond of. Well, Lance was sitting cross legged with Lotor’s head in his lap. Shiro followed the way Lance twirled his fingers in Lotor’s long, white hair. Shiro felt a small pang of jealousy. It had been far too long since he shared an intimate moment with anyone. He spent so much of his time working that there simply wasn’t a lot of time for dating. Maybe Shiro needed to follow Lance’s example and find a handsome sugar daddy to give him the love and money he needed to survive. 

“Someone’s looking minty fresh. Feeling better?” Lance asked.

“Not really. Boss wants me to be at work in about five minutes,” Shiro said. 

“Why?”

“Because water is wet and my life’s a shitshow.”

“How are you supposed to get there with no car? Do strippers have a carpool?”

“I’m not a stripper, I’m a pole dancer. No, they are not the same thing. Looks like I’m taking the bus to work. Hopefully I make enough tonight to get a tow and new tires for my car.” 

“Eww, the bus is gross. I know! You can borrow Blue! She’s a little low on gas but she’s big on heart. I insist. It’s really the least I could. Oh make sure that you don’t try to drive her up a hill, Blue’s brakes are not the best.”

“You might want to wear a helmet. And pray,” Lotor sleepily chimed in.   
Thing’s a death trap and Lance is too stubborn to let me buy him a better one.” 

“Blue’s irreplaceable, baby. There are some things money can’t buy,” Lance said softly. 

“For everything else there’s Mastercard,” Lotor chuckled.

The couple began bantering back and forth, rather than watch the tender moment as the world’s loneliest voyeur Shiro decided to take his chances with Blue. Within twenty minutes Shiro was stuck in rush hour traffic on the world’s slowest moped. The strap of his duffel bag was cutting into his shoulder as the moped rattled down the busy downtown streets. 


	6. Chapter 6

**June 1, 2019**   
_2:00 PM_

Between four years as a broke college student and two years as an underemployed, overworked, and underpaid retail worker meant that Takashi couldn’t always afford to eat the way he wanted. Takashi remembered all too well when his concept of a healthy meal consisted of a peanut butter sandwich with a side of scrambled eggs. His financial struggles had given him an appreciation for food that would never be forgiven. Now Takashi would settle for nothing but the very best. Marrying into wealth that Keith didn’t care what Takashi spent so long as the end result tasted good. For the first time in his life Takashi was able to indulge in the best organic, free range meat and dairy. He was able to purchase snacks that had the benefit of being delicious in addition to sugar free. 

When they bought their first condo and moved in together Keith was reluctant to change his eating habits. Keith could afford quality food and he still went to Up-n-Atom Burger four times a week. By the time that began wedding planning Keith was more willing to eat a side salad instead of an extra order of fries. After they adopted Michelle, Keith had tried to lead by example and teach his new daughter how to eat her vegetables without throwing a fit. That wasn’t to say Takashi didn’t find an empty container of Chocos in Keith’s study.

For their pseudo anniversary Takashi was going to spoil his husband with a blast from his past. The night before Takashi called his mother-in-law to ask for her family recipes. He spent three hours waiting for Krolia to dictate the traditional Korean food that she made during Keith’s youth. She did occasionally get sidetracked with stories of how cute Keith was as a child and how much she wished he’d call more. A mother-in-law who treated Takashi with the same love and care as her own child was yet another amazing thing he gained after their marriage. 

Takashi ended up blowing a good portion of his already generous food budget and spent far longer at Mama Mart then he planned. Getting the groceries into the house without Keith noticing was unlikely. Luckily Keith was clueless about cooking so he wouldn’t question why Takashi was buying so much food at once. A plausible excuse would simply be saying that he was buying for the week instead of that night. The best thing about having a strong husband and an energetic teenager was making them carry the groceries.

“Jeez Papa, what are you making? You’ve got more vegetables than Uncle Lance’s garden in here. Are you doing another juice cleanse?” Michelle complained, setting a bag on the countertop. 

“I thought we agreed never to speak of that again,” Takashi said. The juice cleanse happened to coincide with an e.coli outbreak in a certain batch of green apples. Takashi didn’t learn until he was bedridden for three days cursing Johnny Appleseed and all he stood for. 

“Please tell me you aren’t doing keto again,” Keith chimed in. He was ruffling through the bags in search of something sweet. He was satisfied when he found a box of choco pies. Krolia claimed that they were Keith’s favorite after school snack when he was in kindergarten. She vividly told Takashi about Keith crawling on top of the kitchen counter to get the snacks hidden in the cupboards. 

“Wow, these take me back. Haven’t had these since college. They go great with po-” Keith began. Takashi shot him a look.

“Anyway what are you cooking? There’s at least six pounds of shrimp. Are we expecting company tonight?” 

“Maybe. Some people may have mentioned wanting to drop by later,” Takashi said coyly.

“What people?” Keith asked.

“People we may or may not know. Who may or may not want to come over at an unspecified time,” Takashi said, batting his eyelashes. 

“Fine, keep your secrets. Since you went out and got all this food for what I know will be a ridiculously elaborate dinner, how about I order us some pizzas?”

“I want a calzone!” Michelle chimed in.

“We can get two pizzas. I don’t want you ruining your appetites before tonight,” Takashi said. 

“I’m a growing girl. I need my nutrients. All of them. Constantly. How am I supposed to get to Carnegie Hall without the right balance of junk food and home cooking?”

“Explain to me how a calzone factors into that equation,” Keith asked.

“Simple. I grow up big and strong. Then I go to college, move into the dorms, go viral for my livestream dorm performances of famous movie scores, and then when I get super famous I’ll play at Carnegie Hall and all the proceeds will go to charity. I can’t make a donation to a charity without calzones, Dad!”

“Flawless logic. I would hate to deprive future users of Tik Tok of your haunting rendition of My Heart Will Go On,” Keith said.

“Exactly! Every influencer has to start somewhere. I’m going to start with a pepperoni and sausage calzone. Until then I’m gonna go look up the sheet music for My Heart Will Go On so I can start practicing,” Michelle said. She swiped the box of choco pies from Keith and scurried out of the kitchen. Takashi chuckled at how genuinely distraught Keith looked. The whole conversation Michelle had been slowly inching closer to her true target without them noticing. Teenagers truly were unpredictable. 

“She’s something else, isn’t she?” Keith asked. 

“She gets it from you,” Takashi teased, he gently kissed Keith on the cheek. “Help me finish putting all this away. Don’t pout. I bought you a box of custard cakes too.”

“Either I’m forgetting an important date or you’re in a really good mood today,” Keith said. He grabbed Takashi’s hands and started swinging them. “Tell me what I’m missing, baby. Why are you being so good to me?”

“I’m always good to you. I love you.” 

“I love you too. I’ve loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you. And I know you have something big planned today. I also know it involves Romelle and Lance.”

“Who told you?”

“Twitter. Keeping a secret when those two are involved is impossible. I know it’s not our anniversary or anyone’s birthday. Last I checked Father’s Day is a few days out.” Keith pulled Takashi closer, resting his hands on his husband’s hips. Keith gave them a light squeeze. They were practically chest to chest. Takashi knew this strategy well. Keith turned on the charm and Takashi fell for it every time. Those gorgeous eyes and cocky smirk did him in every single time. 

“You’re a smart man. I’m certain you can figure it out. Tell me, dearest. What makes today special?” Takashi asked.

“Every day with you is special, every morning is a gift,” Keith said.

“You don’t have a clue do you?”

“Not a one. How about we make a bet? If I can guess what you’ve got planned then I’ll give a surprise of my own. The kind that involves no cooking but a lot of whipped cream”

“Promises, promises. You get three guesses. No more, no less. And if you do win, then you’re going to be the one to wash whipped cream stains out of the mattress. The only hint I’m giving is that it’s a very special day for both of us.”

“Hmmm, that narrows it down to about a hundred things. First date?”

“In a manner of speaking. Technically, you’re correct but not quite what I had in mind. You were quite clear that you didn’t consider it a date.”

“Based on that alone I can guess I was a lot younger and stupid. First kiss? ”

“I guess we did kiss that night. You went for the cheek and I turned my head too fast. Getting warmer. One more try..”

“Hm...it can only be one thing. The day we met. You were the best thing I ever laid eyes on. All I wanted to do was take you away from that place and keep you forever. Of course I was too stubborn to admit it. I never believed in love at first sight before you. Can you blame me for trying to fight fate?”

“No, I can’t. I wouldn’t have you any other way. Now help me put the shrimp away before it thaws and take me to bed. We should have at least thirty minutes before the calzones get here.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**June 1, 2019**   
_7:47 PM_

“Do you think it’s done?” Takashi asked, poking at the galbi in the oven. He’d been cooking the Korean style ribs for hours trying to make sure they were absolutely perfect. 

“Looks done. Any longer and it’s gonna burn. How do you not know how long it takes to cook? This was your idea,” Keith replied. He had volunteered to help Takashi make their anniversary dinner. Keith was better with a grill then a stove, the only reason he was in the kitchen at all was because he made a very passionate argument for it while he was licking whipped cream off Takashi’s back. Their midday romp had put them behind schedule in the cooking. Their guests were due to arrive at any moment. Takashi hated going to a dinner party only to spend two hours waiting for the meal to actually be served. Takashi put on a pair of oven mitts and slid the tray of ribs out.

“Something smells good as hell.” Takashi turned to see Lance walking into his kitchen looking as if he found an oasis in the desert. 

“You’re actually early for once. Hell must have frozen over,” Takashi said. He set the ribs on the counter and gave his old friend a hug. “How are you, Lance?”

“Long, tan, handsome. You know, the usual. A few weeks down in Havana was just what the doctor ordered. I keep telling you, you need to go on vacation. Spend some time in Seoul or Tokyo, Lord knows you’ve both earned it. It’s summer! Go find a beach and get away from it all,” Lance said, returning the hug. He began to pace around the kitchen peeping into the assorted pots and pans. 

“Someone’s got to keep the company running. Where is Lotor anyway. I told him he’s not allowed near the wine cellar after last time,” Keith said, guiding him away from the dumplings and into one of the bar stools on the kitchen island. 

“That’s hilarious because that is definitely where he is and we are definitely taking several bottles of chardonnay. I am not sorry,” Lance grinned.

“You come into my home and steal my wine. No matter how much time passes you’re still the same shitty roommate,” Takashi said.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Who would I be if I weren’t Lance Sincline, influencer and world renowned beauty guru?”

“A househusband who makes makeup videos on YouTube for trophy wives?” Keith said cheekily. 

“Just for that I’m going to take two bottles of pinot noir as compensation for defamation. The blatant disrespect for my profession.”

“Says the man who walks into a house and starts stealing and eating shit! I don’t come to your house and raid the fridge.”

“For the last time, it’s not a house. It’s a manor. A manor that has been in the Sincline family for generations.”

Takashi rolled his eyes. They were going to be at it for a while. By the time Lance and Keith finished their annual dick measuring contest Takashi had set the table. He even used the good china that Lotor and Lance gave them as a wedding gift in the hopes that it smoothed over bad feelings. Takashi doubted Lotor was actually pilfering from the wine cellar. Usually the silver haired man went to the backyard to smoke while their husbands bickered. Sure enough Takashi found Lotor admiring their rose bushes with a cigarette between his lips.

“Mr. Sincline,” Takashi greeted.

“Mr. Kogane,” Lotor responded with a nod. “How have you been? Fatherhood seems to be treating you well. Lance and I are considering surrogacy. Mother keeps hinting that it’s past time to have an heir. Be a shame to let the family name die out and all that. Personally, I think she wants a grandchild to spoil.”

“Honerva as a grandmother, now that’s something I’d pay good money to see. I’m sure Lance would be happy to have a son or daughter to play dress up with. We don’t have much experience with babies or surrogacy but Keith and I will support you every step of the way.”

“I appreciate any advice you have. I’ll have my hands full with a mini Lance running around. I do suppose a child will help liven up the house a little.”

“I was under the impression it was a manor,” Takashi joked.

“Oh, it most certainly is. It’s been in our family for five generations. Problem with a house that old and large is the cost of upkeep is unreasonable. I’d sell the damn thing for pennies on the dollar and be done with it if it weren’t for the fact that Lance seems more attached to it than I am,” Lotor sighed. “Drawbacks of marrying a sentimental fool I suppose. He’s nothing like your Keith, not a sense of practicality in that magnificent body of his,” Lotor said fondly. 

“Preaching to the choir. Does he still have that ratty moped stashed in the garage?” Takashi asked.

“Asking him to throw that thing on the scrap pile would be grounds for divorce. We’d better get inside before they kill each other. Lance can’t tell Keith that he misses him like a normal person. He’s got to pick a fight.” Lotor took one last puff before putting out his cigarette. Takashi gave him a measured look as he grinded the cigarette butt underneath his heel. Lotor picked it up with a slightly apologetic look. As they entered the house Michelle nearly knocked the wind out of Lotor as she rushed to give him a hug. 

“Uncle Lotor! I missed you so much! Did you bring me a present?” she asked.

“Of course I got something for my favorite niece. I’ll show you after dinner. First we have to make sure your Dad and Uncle Lance haven’t made a mess,” Lotor said. 

They found Lance and Keith in the dining room setting out the food. None of the food looked burnt and the plates were still intact. Things were going better than the Christmas party at least. Lotor took a seat with Michelle immediately sliding in next to him. Takashi was positive that by the time dessert rolled around Michelle was going to be asking to style Lotor’s hair into whatever the kids considered fashionable these days.

“Any word from the others?” Takashi asked Keith.

“Hunk and Romelle are running late, had to fill a rush order. Something about a bridal shower and an overly involved mother in law. They should be here in about-” Keith began. The doorbell rang as if on cue. 

“I’ll get it,” Michelle said. Takashi saw that she had already covertly made a small plait in Lotor’s hair. Takashi decided he was going to wait to see how long it took anyone else to notice. Lotor would look nice with braids. 

“Uncle Hunk and Aunt Romey are here. Oh and Uncle Matt is pulling in. Looks like he brought a girl with him too,” Michelle called from the doorway. 

“The party has arrived,” Hunk declared. Hunk and Romelle came in carrying bags that were practically bursting with baked goods. Hunk must have been in an especially good mood. Hunk wasted no time setting the bags down and unloading the treats they’d crafted for the gathering. As expected the cheesecake looked too beautiful to eat. Definitely Instagram worthy. He and Romelle went to the trouble of making several of Takashi and Keith’s favorites. There was a tupperware container full of homemade tasik and a small pan of castella. 

“Mickey! I’m so happy to see you! You’re adorable. I made cookies just for you, my little angel,” Romelle cooed. Romelle fawned over Michelle as if she were a toddler instead of a teenager and his daughter ate it all up.

“I missed you too, Aunt Romey. You make the best tasik ever,” Michelle said.

“I helped too you know. I’m more than a pack mule,” Hunk said defensively, placing down the final container of yakgwa next to the ribs.

“You’re right. You’re also the man who burnt down Wonder Taco,” Lance teased. 

“That was eight years ago and not my fault,” Hunk shot back. 

“Keep telling yourself that. Only two more years until the mall lifts your ban. Not that you’d want to go to a dead mall these days,” Lance said.

“Why have you been counting down the days until my ban expires? Who does that?!” Hunk yelled. 

“I heard screaming so I let myself in,” Matt said, poking his head into the dining room. He got a good view of Romelle and Michelle braiding different sections of Lotor’s hair, Lance and Hunk arguing over something trivial, and Keith patiently waiting for Takashi to call things to order. 

“Matthew, are you certain this is the right place?” Matt’s companion asked.

“Well it’s full of people I consider friends acting batshit crazy. Yeah, this is the right place. Evening, everyone. I heard there was free food and booze,” Matt said.

“Did you bring anything of substance this time?” Keith asked.

“I brought the love of my life and some weed. Does that count?” Matt 

“Please leave,” Keith said.

“I really hope you’re joking about the weed,” Takashi scolded.

“I am. No need to chase me out with a broom like last time. Anyway, everyone I’d like to introduce you to my beloved starlight, Nancy Shepard. Nancy, these are the people I have the honor of calling my friends. The big one is Hunk, the blonde who he insists isn’t his girlfriend is Romelle, the one with the resting bitch face is Keith-”

“It’s completely platonic!” Hunk moaned.

“Excuse you,” Keith deadpanned. 

“The toasted marshmallow is Lotor, the Youtube makeover tutorial gone wrong is his husband Lance, and the guy about to kick my ass is Sh-” Matt was interrupted by Takashi lightly punching him in the shoulder. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Nancy. I’m Takashi, Keith’s husband. Welcome to our home. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. We were just about to sit down to dinner.” 


	8. Chapter 8

**June 1, 2019**   
_8:35 AM_

“So we’re standing outside the Denny’s, the clown wants his money, no one’s seen Allura, and the cops are coming. I look at Lotor and say ‘This is the last time we stop for gas in Nebraska’,” Lance said. 

“And that’s why we don’t go on road trips anymore,” Lotor sighed.

Takashi finally managed to get everyone seated and served with minimal bloodshed. Seeing his friends and family seated around a table eating a meal he spent hours preparing warmed his hot. For a majority of the meal he held Keith’s hand beneath the table. Lance could always be depended on to break the ice whenever it came to group gatherings. Takashi had known him long enough to know that Lance’s tall tales were more fact than fiction. The most ludicrous bits tended to be the most truthful while the seemingly mundane details were things that were added in for clarity. When Lance eventually got around to writing that biography of his it was sure to sell like wildfire.

“Uncle Lance, you have the best stories. I wish I could travel all around the world. I want to roam the country in a van but Papa says I have to go to college first,” Michelle moaned.

“Education is more important than following whatever lifestyle those Instagram people are promoting this week,” Takashi said defensively.

“You guys are so lame. Have you ever done anything exciting? Uncle Lance, you and Papa were roommates once right? What was he like back then?” Michelle asked.

“Trust me, he was exactly the same. Serious all day, every day. He was born an old man,” Matt said between bites of musaengchae. 

“You’d think wouldn’t you? Well, you only ever knew about his day job at the mall that certain people who shall not be named are banned from for the next seventeen months. His night job was where he completely and utterly cut loose. He was a beast-” Lance began.

“Lance, I thought we agreed never to discuss it again,” Takashi warned.

“Wait a minute, you were moonlighting? And you never told me?” Matt asked.

“You didn’t know? I thought everyone knew. I knew. Don’t ask me how, but I knew,” Hunk said. 

“Papa, had a secret job? What was it? Was he an assassin?” Michelle asked.

“He wasn’t an assassin but he was killing it. He was the best in the industry. The best.” Lance piped in.

“He was alright,” Lotor said casually, “I’d seen better.”

“Oh my God, are we really doing this? All these years and you bring it up now?” 

“I think it’s the perfect time. Listen, if you didn't have that sketchy ass job, you and Keith would have never met. Have you even told your daughter how you met the love of your life?”

“You guys told me you met at a club!” Michelle accused, glaring at her parents.

“We did!” Takashi replied looking sheepish.

“Technically it was a strip club,” Keith shrugged.

“No way!”

“When was this? Where was I?” Matt sounded dumbfounded.

“Keith! I thought we were going to wait until she was older?!”

“She’s watched Magic Mike on Netflix at least twice. I think she’s old enough. Plus, I don’t see anything wrong with it. You helped me through a pretty dark time in my life. The night I met you was when everything finally started to fall into place.” Keith took a sip of his drink.

  
“I thought it was about magicians and next thing I knew everyone was getting naked and grinding on things.”

“Okay, that explains the first time but not the second,” Hunk chuckled.

“Channing Tatum is quite handsome. You can’t fault the girl for having good taste.” Lotor smirked.

“Thank you, Uncle Lotor. I’m glad someone at this table understands. Now can we get back to Dad apparently being in love with a stripper?” 

“Agreed. This is a story I need to know because somehow I have been in the dark for God knows how long,” Matt shifted in his chair.

“Ten years. You’ve somehow been clueless for over ten years,” Takashi sighed. “I was living with Lance in a shitty apartment. During the day I worked retail with Matt and during the night I stripped at a place called Tenderloins. Ten years ago, on a hot, summer night like this Keith walked into Tenderloins in a disastrous attempt to reconnect with an old flame.”

  
**June 1, 2009**   
_9:15 PM_

Shiro stepped into the dimmed lights and muted music of Tenderloins finding himself once again pondering his life choices. This had started as a fun way to make spending money. A weekend hobby he could indulge in after spending the week of helping veterans learn to walk again. Then the economy went to shit and he found himself begging Sendak for more spots. He went from an occasional guest appearance to becoming a regular. 

Whenever he had to twirl around the pole for a room full of drunk housewives Shiro truly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. There was a time when he invited the whistles and catcalls. Shiro felt powerful, desirable. For a few minutes he was a demigod of raw sexual energy. Then his weeknd stress relief became another dead end job and he found himself dreading every second he was on stage. The money was good, fast, and helped him breakeven more often than not. 

Tenderloins wasn’t the best strip club in the city. It was a far cry from the worst. The club was spacious, clean, and followed the health codes religiously. Sure a few drug deals happened at the bar and the back rooms were used for more than private lap dances. None of that was Shiro’s business or his problem. He’d learned the hard way that people did whatever was necessary to survive. In all honesty he was no better considering he shook his ass for gas money three times a week. Shiro could hold on to some shred of dignity knowing that he wasn’t literally selling his body. 

Shiro deposited his things in the locker room and made his way to Sendak’s office. His boss was in his too small office reviewing security footage. 

“You wanted to see me?” Shiro asked, taking a seat on a chair that was far too sticky for his liking.

“Griffin fell off again. Climbed six feet in the air then slipped off as if the pole were coated in butter. Hospital says he’ll spend two weeks on the mend. You’re gonna be taking his spots til he either drags his sorry ass back in here or I find a replacement,” Sendak said without looking up.

“No problem. What hospital is he at?” 

“Sacred Heart. And it’s a big goddamn problem. Griffin was booked tonight for a private show. He can’t do that with a broken leg. So I’m gonna need you to put on his cow suit and get down to Room 5 before the client gets here.”

“I’m sorry, you want me to do what in Griffin’s what? There’s no way in hell I’m sleeping with-”

“Did I say anything about sex? Did I say you had to suck a dick? No, I said a private show in a cow suit. You’re gonna dance and twirl like usual for an audience of one. Guy already knows the rules, no touching and no cumming. Yeah, it’s a fucking cow suit that the client paid three grand for Griffin to wear. Why? Fuck if I know. All I know is I don’t do refunds. Put the damn suit on and I’ll give you $750.”

“Won’t the guy notice I’m not Griffin?”

“Not if you keep your goddamn mouth shut.”

  
**June 1, 2009**   
_10:02 PM_

This was going to be Shiro’s last day of employment at Tenderloins. He was wearing a hot, oversized cow costume in a dark room waiting to meet whatever depraved man would ask for something so bizarre. The straw had finally broken the camel’s back. Once Sendak paid him Shiro was leaving and never looking back. Things would be tight financially for a while but he was sure Lotor wouldn’t take much convincing to help them out. There was a limit for the amount of shit Shiro was willing to accept and he’d finally found it. 

Shiro took a deep breath. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes of making an absolute fool of himself in front of some pervert and he’d walk out of this place for the last time. The client was two minutes late. It was taking all of Shiro’s willpower not to walk out. He leaned against the stripper pole in the center of the room. Through the slits in the cow head he could barely see the bright red sofa across from him. At least he wasn’t going to have to look at the sick bastard.

Three knocks on the door signaled that the client was about to walk in. Shiro steeled himself as best as he could. He posed as sexily as he could in a cheap full body fursuit. He heard Sendak schmoozing with the client. His boss’ deep voice speaking in a low, cooing tone to appease whoever was willing to pay $3,000 to watch a cow do the splits. Shiro listened for the door to close behind Sendak. The sofa creaked as the client took a seat. 

From what Shiro could tell, it was definitely a man. Or man shaped at least. Shiro blew him a kiss and tried not to vomit.

“That’s not the reaction I was expecting, Griffin. Didn’t think you’d actually go through with it. It’s funny. You’ll agree to this but you won’t meet my parents. I don’t know whether to be hurt or insulted,” the client said.

Of course, this would be about a personal vendetta between Griffin and an ex. Or a stalker. Did those idiot bouncers check the guy for weapons? Or did Sendak let this psycho waltz right in? The client reclined on the sofa. Shiro could feel him analyzing every inch of the cheap costume. 

“Nothing to say? The listing on Amazon said you should be able to talk in it. I only wanted you to wear a mask. Your boss is the one who wanted to upgrade to the full suit. Either he’s greedier than Regris or he hates you more than Regris,” the client said.

Shiro slumped against the pole. He wanted to be anywhere than here. Shiro felt like he was intruding on a very private, personal moment. He wondered if Griffin fell off that pole to avoid this awkward conversation. 

“Don’t remember you being this quiet. But I do remember you’d do anything and anyone for a price. When they told me, you were working here I almost didn’t want to believe it. Almost. Listen, I didn’t come here to slut shame you. I just wanted to see you one last time. Get a little closure after everything that went down,” the client’s voice cracked. Shiro felt a stab of pity. Anyone willing to spend this much money for fifteen minutes with an ex-boyfriend obviously had some deep-rooted issues they needed to address.

“Any particular reason you charged me so much for this little get together? Were you aiming for the price of the engagement ring? Kinkade told me you pawned it. Not that I’d want it back at this point. Christ, say something! Doesn’t the silent treatment get old after three months?” the man was practically sobbing at this point. Things had gone on long enough. Shiro was going to have to unmask himself before this guy had a mental breakdown. Sendak was going to pitch over this put Shiro was never setting foot in this place again. 

Shiro took a deep breath and lifted the sweaty costume over his head. 

“I’m not Griffin,” Shiro said.

“Then who the hell are you?” the client asked.

“I’m the idiot who decided to cover Griffin’s shift. And who might you be?”

“I’m Keith Kogane. I am the biggest idiot on planet Earth.” Keith Kogane was also the most attractive person on Earth. Despite being watery, Keith’s eyes were the loveliest shade of blue. His jawline could cut diamonds. He was the first person Shiro had ever seen who could make a mullet look sexy. Since Griffin was going to let this prime piece of real estate go, Shiro was going to waste no time moving in. 

“You’re not the one in the cow suit, Keith. Can I take this thing off? I’m wearing clothes underneath,” Shiro said. 

“Yeah. Sorry you got wrapped into all this. I know this seems crazy. I probably look like a stalker or something. One minute you’re planning a wedding, the next you’re in a seedy strip club. No offense,” Keith said. Keith had the decency to avert his eyes as Shiro took off the costume. A romantic fool and a gentleman. Who was also willing to spend several thousand dollars to get closure. 

“I won’t be offended at you insulting my place of work as long as you aren’t offended for being the reason I quit. The only reason I’m here is because Griffin got hurt. I can give you his hospital information if you want.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I’m going to take this as a sign I need to stop chasing him. I don’t know what happened to us. We were together for five years and two weeks before the wedding he broke it off. Packed his bags and ran off. That was three months ago.”

Takashi took a seat next to Keith on a sofa.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I guess it can’t hurt. How much more time do we have left?”

“Your fifteen minutes is almost up. Hey, let’s get out of here. Neither of us want to be in this place any longer. There’s a coffee shop not far from here. That is, if you’re up for it. Afraid I can’t get you a refund.”

“Sounds nice. Don’t worry about the money. That’s what I get for not taking a hint. It’s time to move on. Problem is I don’t know how.”

“Well, I’d be more than happy to help you find out. I’m going through a bit of a transitional time in my life too. Between the two of us we might be able to get our shit together.”

“You’re a good man. I think I’ll take you up on that coffee. What did you say your name was?”

“Takashi Shirogane. You can call me Shiro.” 


End file.
